ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Union Local High School students presented mock court cases to Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra this week, learning the ins and outs of the criminal court system.
The sophomore English and language arts class, with around 60 students participating, presented court cases before Vavra as part of a mock trial at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Belmont County Courthouse. UL Superintendent Zac Shutler said English and language arts teacher Robin Imhoff expressed interest about a month or two ago in having her students prepare mock court cases and prosecute them.
Assistant Prosecutor Joe Vavra put Union Local in contact with his dad, Judge Vavra. Shutler gave credit to the courthouse and Judge Vavra for organizing the mock trial and allowing the students to do this.
Shutler said Judge Vavra surprised them by presiding over the mock court cases himself, which was really cool for the students.
The judge explained to the students how presiding over a case works, all the intricacies of a trial, why everything is located in the way that it is in a courtroom and what everybody’s role in the courtroom is. He proceeded to hear students’ cases and render his decision based on how they executed them.
Shutler said a lot of students dressed for their role, and the school had positive feedback from the sheriff’s deputies at the courthouse on how polite students were.
“It’s nice to see teachers think outside the box,” Shutler said. “It reminds me of a book that we shared with the teachers called ‘The Power of Moments’ by Dan and Chip Heath, where they talk about how creating experiences for folks with intention and with design can make lasting memories.”
In the book, there’s an example of students going to a courthouse to prosecute a mock case.
Shutler said the mock trial breaks up the monotony of the school year. Whether it’s classes or a job, people go through mundane actions, and they can all run together.
“So, by design, taking students off campus to complete a project livens things up. It re-engages them,” he said. “This activity could have been done in the classroom, but it wouldn’t have the same dramatics as going to a courtroom to prosecute your case.”
He also said whether someone is interested in law is not significant, but the ability to stand in front of peers and adults who have the title of judge prepares students for a variety of things in life, whether it’s going on to work in sales, as an attorney or doctor or being a good community member. It helps develop the ability to speak with confidence and communicate your ideas, which is applicable to any line of work and to success in anything in life.
Shutler believes that is where the real value in this type of project lies.
He believes the No. 1 skill such activities provide students is communication. He noted that when someone is prosecuting a case or defending a case, they have to be clear, concise, persuasive and confident, which are skills applicable to a variety of things in life.
“The ability to communicate with confidence, to state your opinion, to research facts, to support those facts that will serve anybody well wherever they end up,” Shutler said.
Shutler noted how the expertise of Judge Vavra, his credentials and his longevity in Belmont County contributed to how the students were able to learn about a real-world trial.
Shutler said getting to hear about what a judge is responsible for, what attorneys do, what prosecuting attorneys do and how they can help the greater good helped the students learn more of what goes on.
He also noted that it’s important for people to come out of their comfort zones and expose themselves to their fears, which helps them grow in confidence.
“I’m always going to go back to the importance of communication and having students remove themselves from their comfort zone. And students aren’t much different than adults. We like to stay in our comfort zone,” Shutler said. “And to present and speak in front of their peers on a stage like that, I think is a positive exercise to help prepare them to speak and present in college, or to sell themselves to an interview committee about why they’re the best person for the job.”
